Kal-El
"Dreams save us. Dreams lift us and transform us. And now on my soul, I swear until my dream of a world where dignitiy, honor, and justice becomes the reality we all share I'll never stop fighting, ever." Character Stat Sheet Public Information Superman is known for helping people all around the globe. Having a fandom dating back to 2002, people can tell you many things about him. The one thing that comes up from the fans is that he's here to help. Sometimes he'll work alongside the government, but he's not afraid of downing a tracking satellite or two. While every hero may not be trusted by the crowd at large, Superman is the one of the biggest exceptions. Metropolis even sells unlicensed shirts that say "I (Superman Symbol) Metropolis." Everyone knows he's an alien by the name of Kal-El from a planet that blew up called Krypton, he's a founding member to the Justice League and he's managed to come back from the dead. His actions speak volumes about the quality of his character. Clark Kent is another matter. Yes, he is an award-winning journalist that most people say, "All he needs is the right story and that Pullitizer is his." He's just so awkward most people don't want to be around him outside of work. Even Steve Lombard is hesitant to invite Clark to a Kansas City Royals game and everyone knows Clark is a fan of the team due to a small mini-flag from the 70s that hangs proudly in his cubical. Sure, he's dependable and will go into the most dangerous situations, after some protest, like any other good report. Just because he's the Planet's loveable looser doesn't mean Clark's not a looser by society's standards. History As odd as it may sound, Clark Kent, the most boring man in America, may have the most interesting story. Underneath the boring exterior was the man behind Superman. Clark's story began when he was found orphaned by his adopted parents Jonathon and Martha Kent. Unlike every other orphan on the planet, Clark's biological parents came from outer space. Yes, Clark Kent was an alien from a now dead planet called Krypton. His biological father, Jor El, tried telling Kryptonian council that the planet was becoming unstable. For years the planet had been mining it's own natural resources that the core turned unstable. The Kryponian council dismissed Jor El's claims and killed his professional reputation. None of that mattered to Jor El. He had been secretly working on a craft. Originally it was meant to send Jor El, his wife Lar El and son Kal El. Sadly, it weeks maybe even months before being completed. They had days. Jor El was lucky to modify it to carry his son. In Krypton's final hour the ship went off to Earth, Kal carried all of Krypton's hopes and dreams with him. Being discovered in a ship aside, Kal, now Clark Kent, the son to Jonathon and Martha, lived a pretty normal life after two years of sickness. Things didn't change until he was eight years old. All of the extra senses started to kick in and made life very difficult for Clark. Teachers noticed the changes too. He became quiet and withdrawn and suddenly the exceptional A student morphed into the exceedingly average C student. By age ten he had no friends until fate intervened. Everything about the day wasn't out of the ordinal. Everyone got on the bus to go home. Pete Ross teased Clark. Everything about the ride was typical until the vehicle suddenly swerved and drove off a bridge. The bus plummeted into the waiting waters below. Seeing everyone scream for their life as water filled the inside, Clark realized he had choice: let everyone drown and walk away, or save them. Moments later the bus miraculously found it's way onto a nearby shore. No one knew how or why except for one student that happened to catch everything. Lana Lang witnessed Clark moving the bus and even saving Pete Ross, who had tried to get away by opening the emergency exit once the bus collided into the water. From that point on Clark wasn't so alone. The pair kept his secret. They even covered for him the few times he slipped off to save more people. Local papers sometimes called Clark's heroics an act of God or the act of some kind of "Blur." All three of them were the closest of friends. Heck, Clark even dated Lana before college separated them. The pair knew who Superman was long before everyone gave him a name. And the only thing shocking to them about the "Caped Wonder" was his costume. To them Superman was just Clark, a guy that liked the Kansas City Royals, a good hot dog with extra onions, always did the right thing, and happened to have super powers. This was why Clark Kent had the most intersting story at the planet. As for Superman Not much was known about Superman in the beginning. "Where did he grow up?" "Who he is outside of the costume?" What does he do for a living?" were all a mystery for the general public when he appeared in 2002. What everyone knew came from Daily Planet, articles by Lois Lane, and his own actions. The first article, "Caped Wonder Stuns City" brought back the old term used for older heroes, "Wonders." The word was the general term to described them. A lot of people knew the story about the "Caped Wonder," even before reading the headline. LexAir Flight number 4414 was enroute to Gotham City. Passengers texted family members what was to be their final words. Oxygen masks dropped and the plane was nose diving. One of the engines blew. Debris got sucked in the turbine. Everything went downhill from there. Then out of nowhere the plane had stabelized. What everyone saw was a man dressed in blue and red with hints of yellow, with a long cape, holding onto the wing and flying. Yes, somehow this man was flying and holding the plane. Amateur cell phone video and photos hit the web within minutes. A common name for him on the web was "Superman." After he helped the plane touch down for an emergency landing, he helped remove the doors for exits, floated in the air until it looked like everything was okay then gave a smile and a wave before flying off. That wasn't the last time anyone saw him. Reports from all over the place came in. Everything from stopping armed robberies to rescuing cats out of trees. If someone was in trouble and Superman knew it, he was there. All of these appearances somehow flushed him out for an interview with Lois Lane that later became, "Superman Speaks." The article made the name official and confirmed the one thing many suspected, that humanity was no longer alone in the universe. Superman was, as far as he knew, the sole survivor of a planet called Krypton. Somehow his parents had the know-how to send him here before he was a year old. He was simply, "here to help." That's why he went diving after planes, robbers, and cats in tress. He was just here to help. The articles were the first of many. Even Daily Planet Reporter Clark Kent wrote about Superman's many acolytes. Superman can be considered a symbol to the heroes although he would never claim to be one. In his own mind, through interviews, and the like he has always been the type of hero that considered himself to be doing his duty. Although when the world needed it he would be willing to rally them together, like in the case of the Justice League back when Darkseid attack. Everyone was so afraid of the alien invasion. People saw the situation as hopeless, but then Superman rallied the heroes. Seeing the triadic colored hero gather the heroes raised the spirits of the planet like Franklin Delano Roosevelt did to the United States before entering the second world war. Darkseid was stopped, barely, and a new team formed in victory's wake called the Justice Leauge. Superman was there to stop the first incarnation of Intergang before Bruno Maheim seized power. He was there fighting alongside the rest of the league taking on supervillains trying to rally. Tons of people have stories of Superman taking time to meet everyone when there were press conferences for the opening of the Justice League's Watch Tower and Hall of Justice. Honestly, the list kept going on of all of Superman's acolades, that's what made 2010 so hard. Doomsday was just more than the name of a creature, it's what some people called the day it confronted Superman. Wtih claw like bones that protruded from its elbows, knees, jawline, knuckles and damn near everywhere else, a hulking body frame and the superstrength to match Doomsday ran through anything in its way. The Justice League were taken out quickly as he worked his way through each member one by one on his path into Metropolis. Returning from space Superman confronted the creature head on. The battle between the two was long and brutal. No one had ever seen Superman pushed to the limit like that because he was bleeding...badly. Even during the Darkseid invasion Superman looked bruised and had a bloody lip. Against Doomsday his costume was in ribbons, blood ran from picture wounds and cuts all over his blody, but the hero never stayed down. Both figures even ran at each other like two clashing titans creating a sonic boom when their fist connects that caused building foundations to groan as metal beams bent, and windows to shatter within seconds. Much of Metropolis looked like a warzone before the fight's final moments. After the last blow Superman reportedly slumped against Lois lane asking, "Doomsday...is..is he?" Lois practically yelled the answer as tears streamed down her face. Once his ears heard the answer his body gave out. Superman died. His funeral was unlike any other there. Every costume hero was there wearing a black armband. Heroes marched alongside a horse carriage that ran through Metropolis. People gathered along barriers like a parade, but no one was smiling. Tears went unseen on that rainy day, but no one could have ignored the sadness from the masses. Metropolis erected a memorial statue to him in the Park where he was buried. Weeks later three individuals claimed to be Superman appeared, while one wore the symbol as a means to honor the recently fallen hero. In the wake of the "Four Supermen" someone discovered Superman's body was missing from its coffin. No one was able to track it. Quietly in 2011 Superman had managed to be brought back from the brink of Death. Earth had created the conditions to extend his life further. He was dying, but had yet to officially cross over. Somehow there was a small spark of life left that was brought back thanks to the robots that had snatched his body and returned with it to the Fortress. By 2012 Superman eventually "returned" to the land, powerless, of the living fighting alongside the Justice League during World War Earth. Taking on the Cyborg Superman. The encounter led to Superman regaining his powers and taking back the costume the villain was trying to desecrate. Since then, Superman has returned to his place as the head of the Justice League, and leading it through the Merge into a new reality shared with their neighbors on Earth-24800. Now people remembered the day Superman died, but only need to look up in the sky because eventually he'll be there. Personality Inherently Good: No matter how dark the world will get, Clark will do the good thing. Whether it's to give the shirt off his back, help a cat out of a tree, if it's in his power to help then he will. Clark is just that kind of person in and out of the costume. Granted when Clark does it there'll be some stuttering and bumbling to his actions, but the actions are still good. Friendly: Superman's willing to help out anyone. Sometimes people just need an ear. When it's appropriate he may be the hero that may just be willing to listen to someone. Sometimes there's a disconnect between the people and their heroes. That disconnect is less when it comes to big blue. Social Conscience: He's a friendly alien that's been living on the planet for decades. Much to the chagrin of some politicians and heroes, Superman will fight for the rights of everyone. It's no fair that the Government accepts an alien that was born light years away, but not its own people. Hard to Read: Clark Kent, the man seen in Metropolis, is an act. People presume falsely about him, which makes the disguise that much more effective. Because Superman is such a good actor at times he can be hard to read. Sometimes this will make people nervous because "What f all the good deeds are just an act?" "Are we seeing the -real- Superman?" These questions by some may not be unfounded. Logs * 2015-02-17 - The League's Limits - The senior members of the Justice League (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Aquaman - with a brief, telepathic appearance by Martian Manhunter) convene to discuss the status of the world. It becomes clear that something is afoot beneath the Earth's oceans... * 2014-08-29 - Stars and Supers - Starfire and Superman brief one another on recent events during a patrol. Category:DC Features Category:Aliens Category:Kryptonians Category:Justice League Category:Elite Characters Category:Major Characters Category:1978 Births Category:Metropolis Category:Flight Category:Self-Sustaining Category:Family Matters Category:Taken Characters